Ultimate Pet Turtle Care Guide [2020]

Pet Turtles 101: How to Take Care of a Turtle

Turtles are one of the most popular and hardy pets that you can have, which makes them a very popular choice for somebody who is looking for a starter pet and has never had the opportunity to own a reptile before.  Turtles can live for up to 40 years if you are able to properly take care of them, so it is very important that you decide whether or not you are ready to take on such a long-term responsibility since you will be their owner.  

What makes turtles so awesome, is the fact that they are fun for both children, as well as adults. This is because turtles are typically going to be very interactive and gentle. Now you must keep in mind that there is a huge difference between turtles and tortoises, the main difference being that they both live in completely different types of environments.  Here is everything that you are going to need to know before you decide to get a pet turtle for yourself or your family.

Setting Up For your Turtle

Before you go down to your local pet shop or turtle breeder to get your new pet, there are a few things that you are going to need to do beforehand.  The main thing being that you will need to set up their habitat so that they can successfully live in it. In order to get their tank setup, there are going to be a few things that you will need to do.

1. Purchase an aquarium that is big enough for your turtle.  Even though when you purchase your turtle, they may be small, they are going to grow and will need a tank that is able to accommodate that growth.  A good rule of thumb to use when shopping for your turtle’s tank, is to assume that you are going to need about 10 gallons of water for every single inch long that his shell will grow.  This means that you will need to do a little research and find out this basic information about the type of turtle you are going to get. Once you find out about how large they are going to be once they become fully grown, all that is left to do is to add an extra 10 gallons of water to whatever it is you think that you are going to require.  This is very important as you are definitely not going to want to fill up your aquarium to the very top, as your turtle is going to require some land space allowing them to lounge around.
2. You will require two thermometers and an overhead UV lamp.  On top of that, you will also require an underwater heater.  Your turtle will be at its best when the heat on their land is around 90 degrees, and the water is somewhere around 78 degrees.  And during the evening hours, you are going to need to make sure that your turtle’s tank is able to cool off to between about 70 and 75 degrees.  The underwater heater is going to be a great way to make sure that their water is consistently at the perfect temperature for them. The overhead lamp will help keep all of the land area nice and warm in the daytime, but you are going to want to turn it off during the evening, somewhat mimicking the hours of sunlight during the day.  Overnight, you are going to want their land area to be between 70 and 75 degrees.
3. Install a good water filter.  A power filter or canister filter is probably going to be the best type for of filter for the job, and the stronger that you can get that filter, the better.  Now keep in mind that if you get too strong a filter and you have a smaller breed of turtle; they may have some difficulties trying to swim against the current of the aquarium.  This means that if you are planning on getting a younger or baby turtle, you may need to start your tank off with a less powerful filter, upgrading to the stronger ones as the turtle grows to maturity.
4. Create some dry space for your turtle to lounge on.  While you may immediately think of adding a little beach area to your tank, you can also use a floating turtle platform or even a bunch of gravel that has been built into a nice little island.  Whatever you decide to do, you are going to want to have it located on one side of the tank, as you are going to need to keep that side warmer. Just be sure that your dry space has a sloped side that allows your turtle to easily be able to climb on it.
5. Give your turtle a hiding spot.  While your turtle is not going to require a whole lot of decorations, they will require some type of hiding space in the water and on the dry space as well.  This will make your turtle much happier than not having them. Some hiding places ideas can include using plants, but plants also make the tank much dirtier and harder to keep clean.  Just be sure that you are not going to use any type of enclosure as their hiding space, as your turtle may be able to swim into it, but may not necessarily be able to turn around inside it, meaning that they would be trapped in it and not able to get out.  If you are going to use decorations in your tank, be sure that you place them all along the outer perimeter, so as to not hinder or block your turtle’s swimming space.
6. Use a substrate on the bottom of the aquarium.  While it doesn’t necessarily matter what you decide to put on the bottom of the tank, you should put some type of substrate down.  This can include rocks that are larger than about ½” to help prevent your turtle from eating them. Sand is another popular option for a good turtle substrate, as your turtle will have a blast digging around in it, but it will make cleaning the tank and keep it clean a little bit harder.

Now that you have your tank all set up, next is feeding your turtle.

Feeding Your Turtle

When you think about feeding your turtle, you probably think that you simply give them some turtle food and that’s it.  While you technically can do that, that would also be wrong. Here is exactly how you are going to want to feed your turtle to ensure that they stay healthy and happy.

1. Always be sure to feed your turtle mealworms or crickets at least several days every week.  Simply put the insects onto their piece of land in their aquarium but be sure that you never just drop them into the water of your aquarium.
2. Always give your turtle commercial turtle food on a daily basis.  This can include turtle food that includes either canned, pellet, or even freeze-dried foods.  In the beginning, you are going to want to do some experimenting to make sure that you are giving them the right amount, as opposed to too much or too little.  To make things easy, you may want to start by giving them between 1/8 and ¼ of a cup, being sure to watch how quickly your turtle eats the food. If they eat all the food, it is alright to give them a little more and repeat the process.  If they do not eat all of the food and there is some left over after several hours, you will want to remove the food and start giving them a little bit less during their next feeding.
3. Give them leafy greens at least every other day.  The best way to start with giving your turtle leafy greens, is to give them about a tablespoon or two of something like kale, collard greens, or mustard greens.  Watch how they react and be sure to remove anything that may be left over in their aquarium after a few hours have passed.
4. Be sure that you are giving your turtle calcium powder at least twice weekly.  All you have to do is mix a small amount of the calcium powder with whatever your turtle’s regular food is prior to feeding them and you will be good to go.

Picking Up Your Turtle the Right Way

When it comes to picking up your turtle, you cannot simply swoop them up and expect everything to be ok.  In fact, there is actually a specific way that you are going to need to pick them up in order for them to stay happy.  Which, just like any animal, when they are happy, they are more than likely going to be healthy. Here is exactly how you should pick up your turtle.

1. Always be sure that you use two hands when you are going to pick up your turtle.  You are going to want to make sure that you have one and on the right side of their body and one hand on the left side of their body.  Be sure to hold onto your turtle’s shell between their front and back legs. Once you have a good grip on them, you can them lift them up slowly.
2. Be sure to never flip over your turtle too quickly.  Whenever you are going to flip your turtle over, it should take at least two complete seconds at the very least, if you are curious to take a look at their underside.  When handling your turtle, you are never going to want to turn them side-to-side, but rather turn them from head to tail or vice-versa. And be sure that however you turned them over originally, that you reverse what it was you did to flip them back over.  When you are doing this, be sure that you remember to slowly raise their head and slowly continue flipping them to their feet. When you turn them too quickly from side-to-side, you are going to put excess stress on their internal organs, potentially leading to their intestines being twisted, which can actually be fatal.
3. Never flip over your turtle if you have no reason too and be sure that they are never left on their back for a continuous amount of time.  If either of these situations happens, it can seriously stress out your turtle, which will lead to many more health problems later down the road.
4. You should always allow your turtle to be able to walk on your hands.  When you do allow your turtle to walk on your hands, you are going to want to make sure that they are very close to the ground in the unfortunate case that they fall off.  If you are unable to be close to the ground, you can also be close to any surface that will prevent them from falling
5. If you are holding your turtle, make sure that you never make any type of sudden movements at all.  Any movement that you are going to make if you are holding your turtle, should be done in a slow and steady manner.  If it helps, pretend that you are holding a baby. If you are holding a baby, you aren’t going to simply yank them any which way.  The same is true for your pet turtle.
6. Always set your turtle back down very slowly and carefully.  Never put them down unless it is on all four of their feet and legs.  Putting them on their back can actually lead them to suffering a very horrific and painful death.
7. Turtles have a shell, but that shell should never be tapped on.  When you tap onto a turtle’s shell, it will not only stress them out, but it will also lead them to possible injuries that can eventually become life threatening.
8. Always be sure that you wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling your pet turtle.  Turtles carry the very dangerous disease that is known as salmonella, which means that you are going to need to wash your hands before and immediately after you handle them.  

Cleaning Your Pet Turtle

There is nothing worse than a pet that smells disgusting.  With turtles, that is exactly what you are going to get unless you clean them and maintain their habitat on a regular basis.  Here is everything that you are going to need to know about doing just that.

When it comes to turtles, you are only going to want to bathe them if there is a sign of algae on their shell, or if they are shedding dead skin.  While these are both very normal occurrences, they will be much more comfortable if you are able to help them remove these nuisances.  

Only use a plastic washtub that is designated for just your pet turtle.  This is one of those times that you are going to want to invest in a bathtub that is reserved solely for your pet turtle.  This is because your turtle carries salmonella, meaning that you are not going to want to wash them in any type of bathroom or kitchen sink that you are planning on using any time soon.  The easy fix here is to simply purchase some kind of dedicated pan, dish or bucket that you are going to use just for cleaning your pet turtle in.

Use water that is lukewarm and has already had the chlorine removed from it.  All you are going to need to do in order to remove any chlorine from the bath water is to simply fill a pitcher with regular tap water and let is sit for a minimum of at least 24 hours.  If you don’t have the patience for that, you can always boil some tap water for about 20 minutes and then let it cool off until it is roughly lukewarm to the touch.

Use a fresh toothbrush to clean your turtle.  When it comes to cleaning your pet turtle, remember that essentially every part of them is going to be extremely sensitive.  That is why you should always use a soft bristled toothbrush to scrub their shell, legs, tail, arms, and belly. While their shell if going to be the toughest part of their body, you are going to need to be very gentle everywhere else.  

Be sure that you are able to remove all of the algae that may be growing between their scales, and never use any type of soap that has not been recommended by your veterinarian. In fact, most of the soaps that have been approved for your turtle are more than likely going to be prescription soap, which means that they are going to help prevent certain turtle medical conditions.

No matter what type of turtle that you decide to get, always be sure to keep their best interest I mind and speak with your local veterinarian about any questions or concerns that you may have.